May 3, 2013

Written by

Detroit Free Press Business Writer

The Detroit Free Press ranked as the nation’s sixth-largest Sunday newspaper in the six-month period ending March 31, the Alliance for Audited Media reported last week.

The AAM, formerly the Audit Bureau of Circulation, cautioned that it is becoming increasingly difficult to adequately report newspaper circulation because readership continues to shift to digital platforms, including desktop and laptop computers, tablets and smartphones.

Digital editions now account for 19.3% of U.S. daily newspapers’ total average circulation, up from 14.2% in March 2012, AAM said.

Rich Harshbarger, vice president of consumer marketing and communications for the Detroit Media Partnership, publisher of the Free Press and Detroit News, said print circulation continues to decline but digital readership is showing major gains.

Free Press digital products include its desktop site freep.com, mobile site m.freep.com and applications for the iPhone and iPad and Android mobile devices.

“The really good story continues to be on our digital side,” he said. “We’re up double digits on the Free Press side (for digital readership).... I think it remains increasingly important to remind people that while we’re committed to providing people with news and information on whatever platform they prefer, it’s increasingly digital.”